


Beginner's Guide to Stealing Hearts

by manganeko96



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Angst, FeMC - Freeform, Female MC - Freeform, Fluff, Her Japanese is Elementary school level, Humor, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I actually really love my oc, Language Barrier, Multi, OC, OC is American, Realistic Injury, She is so sassy, Someone Help Her, Sorry Not Sorry, This all started because I wanted to hug all my adopted phantom thief children, When she's pissed she says YAIN'T, but really quiet too, forgive me Father for I have sinned, hugs will be given, my self indulgent take on the fem mc, there are like 2000 kanji
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-25
Updated: 2017-06-29
Packaged: 2018-11-18 17:53:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11295747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manganeko96/pseuds/manganeko96
Summary: What happens when our hypothetical female main character is not what we expected? Things change, A LOT of things change. A retelling of Persona 5 with a female MC and an original take on the story itself. Get ready for a whole new game plan.AKA: I wanted a feMC that was not just a gender bend of Akira + language barriers are fun = a feMC with a whole new background.Spoilers for end game (kind of)





	1. Why Is Everyone So Pretty?

**Author's Note:**

> In which our main character arrives and Japan, makes a fantastic first impression on curry dad, and despairs over how hot her classmates are.
> 
> NOTE: I edited some minor things in this chapter. I hopefully fixed the velvet room interaction for the most part (I am going off of the trailer rather than the scene in the game itself) I thought it would work better in the longrun.

The scene is an average one for the busy subway in Tokyo. A crowd of businessmen and women returning from work, students returning from cram school, and other citizens are packed into the subway car, hurtling at high speeds down the track. However, what the other subway passengers don't realize is one seventeen-year-old girl is having an existential crisis.

_Should I really be doing this? I mean Japan is so far away, and I'm only in 11th grade. My understanding of Japanese is elementary at best, not to mention I can't read any kanji! As much as I have wanted to do this, why did I think this was a good idea?_

"Yongen-Jaya. Now arriving at Yongen-Jaya."

The girl was interrupted from her musings by the announcement. Following the crowd exiting the subway, she clutched the handle of her suitcase and struggled to read the signs. After a few agonizing minutes, she sighed and followed the crowd outside.

"Excuse me sir!" she called out to a police officer, "Do you know where Sakura Sojiro is?"

He took one look at her fair complexion and taller than average height before answering in English.

"Sakura-san lived around the corner. You should check LeBlanc. It is down this street," he tells her, gesturing to a nearby street,

"Thank you so much!" she responds, bowing. She carefully makes her way down the street, keeping an eye out for anything resembling a cafe. It figures he would assume she was a tourist. Everything about her screams "foreigner!"

After spotting the sign for LeBlanc, which surprisingly was in English, she opens the door and enters the cafe. The inside is small, but cozy. The smell of coffee reminds her of home, and the warm interior is almost nostalgic after a busy day in airports and on the subway.

"Welcome," an older man greets. "You must be Hana. Yamada Hana, correct?"

The girl nods. "That is the name I am using. Please take care of me."

"The name you are using? Strange kid. Well, I guess I'm stuck with you for the year. I'm Sakura Sojiro, but everyone calls me 'Boss.' It's the first time I've hosted a student, but the pay was pretty good. You can also help me around the shop. Follow me, I'll show you to your room."

Hana blinked a couple times, trying to comprehend everything Sojiro said. "R-right."

She follows him upstairs into the attic room. Setting her suitcase aside, Hana glances around the room. It has a desk, bookshelf, and futon as expected. However, there was also a sofa and a half dead houseplant.

"I know it isn't much, but you should have seen it before. I cleaned up the best I could, so you better keep it clean."

"Of course," Hana responds, examining the futon. There was something folded on top of the blankets.

"That's the uniform for Shujin, the school you are attending. We'll go by tomorrow for a brief orientation. The opening ceremony is Monday, but you are getting a more in depth review of the school since you are not familiar with the school system."

"Thank you," Hana replies, unfolding the uniform. She sets aside the blazer and turtleneck, but stops at the skirt. "Oh my god," she whispers holding up the skirt and suspenders. "These are so CUTE! I can't believe my uniform has a plaid skirt and suspenders! This is just like something out of a JRPG or some school life manga!" Hana squeals. She twirls around, noticing Sojiro's bewildered expression.

"Ah… sorry," Hana apologized, blushing. "I fall back on English when I get really emotional. I was very excited about my uniform."

"I can see that," Sojiro mumbled. "Just try not to embarrass me tomorrow."

Hana nodded, still clutching the skirt to her chest. As soon as Sojiro was gone, she continued twirling and giggling. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

~ ~ ~

The next morning was met with crisis.

"This skirt is too short! Why did I have to be cursed with height?" Hana bemoaned. She knew she was very tall and thin, especially compared to the average Japanese high school girl, but she didn't realize just how big a difference there was in size. Hana was thankful for the suspenders that were part of the uniform, they were the only thing currently holding her skirt up!

"My legs are way too long!" Hana lamented, attempting to tug her skirt lower. "At least the uniform sleeves are long enough. I'll just put on some shorts underneath for now." Hana slipped black athletic shorts under her skirt and smoothed it with her hands. Hana tied her hair into a braid and slung her bag over her shoulder.

"I think I look pretty good," Hana assured herself, striking various poses in the mirror.

"Am I interrupting you?"

Hana shrieked and spun around, clutching her chest.

"Sakura-san! You scared me!"

"We need to get going soon. Traffic is unpredictable," Sojiro explained. "Besides, I told you to call me Boss."

"Sorry Sak- I mean, Boss." Hana fiddled with the hem of her skirt, refusing to make eye contact.

"The car's out front. If you have everything, let's get going already."

Hana nodded and followed Sojiro down the stairs and out of LeBlanc.

"The passenger seat is usually reserved for older women, but I guess I'll make an exception this time," Sojiro chuckled. Hana simply nodded and stared out the window.

"Well, here it is. Shujin Academy. We made pretty good time since traffic wasn't bad."

"Are all schools in Tokyo like this? It reminds me of a prison," Hana noted, craning her head to look at the school's roof.

"Of course not. It depends on where you go. Are all the schools in America the same? On second thought, let's just get this over with." Sojiro led Hana up the stair where an older man was waiting.

"You must be our American exchange student, Yamada Hana, correct?"

"Yes sir," Hana replied bowing. "Thank you for having me."

"It's our pleasure. Many schools nowadays are accepting exchange students. It'll do wonders for our reputation as a prestigious school. I will explain in depth in my office."

~ ~ ~

"That took longer than I expected," Hana told Sojiro. The two were driving back to LeBlanc, but an accident caused traffic to back up. "I honestly don't know what to think of my homeroom teacher. She seemed… far away?"

"I think you mean 'distant,'" Sojiro sighed. "Wish we could have avoided all this traffic. This is, I don't know, the sixth accident this month? I wonder if it was another mental shutdown."

"What do you mean by 'mental shutdown'?"

"How do I explain this? People apparently have been falling unconscious for no explainable reason. The accidents are caused by the workers having a mental shutdown while operating the subway, or whatever their job is," Sojiro explained.

"That's scary," Hana said, shivering. "I hope whatever is causing it is fixed soon."

"You and me both, kid."

~ ~ ~

"You should probably head up to bed now. First day of school is tomorrow, after all," Sojiro told Hana as they entered the cafe.

"Yes sir. Thank you," Hana answered, bowing.

Sojiro rubbed the back of his neck. "Sheesh kid, you don't have to be so polite. Loosen up a little. It's weird hearing a kid talk to me so formally."

"Sorry, Boss. When I learned Japanese, I thought it would be best to learn the most formal way of speaking. I do not want to offend anyone," Hana said, bushing slightly. She fiddled with her skirt hem and stared down at her shoes.

"I'm not lecturing you, I'm just trying to help you out. Hopefully spending time around other students will help you ease up on the formalities," Sojiro assured her. He gave Hana a pat on the shoulder and opened the door. "I'm going home now. Don't go out, the streets can be dangerous at night."

Hana heard the tinkling of the bell and exhaled in relief. "Why is Japanese so hard? Formalities will be the death of me."

She started to climb the stairs when a sharp ringing noise made her jump and almost fall.  _Who on earth would be calling at this hour?_  Hana crept towards the yellow pay phone and hesitantly answered.

“H-hello?”

**“Yo, it’s me.”**

“Who is this?”

**“Did you forget my voice already? It’s Sakura. I closed up shop, but I forgot to flip the sign to CLOSED. Can you flip the sign for me?”**

“Ok, got it.”

**“Thanks.”**

Hana heard a click and the dial tone. She hung up and phone and walked outside to flip the sign.

“What a strange request,” she mused, yawning as she climbed the stairs. After changing into pajamas, Hana sat on her bed and checked her phone.

“Hmm, no new messages, let’s see- wait, what’s this?” A strange red icon was on the screen.

“I don’t remember downloading an app… I wonder what it is.” She clicked the icon and waited. Nothing seemed to happen.

“What a waste,” Hana scoffed, “Deleting this!” She dragged the icon into the trash bin and checked that her alarm was set.

“Well, goodnight Mom. Goodnight Dad. Goodnight bro. Wish me luck tomorrow…” Hana slurred as she drifted off to sleep.

 

When Hana opened her eyes, all she saw was blue. “Where the hell am I?”

She sat up, and looked around. For some reason, she was on a boat. Everything had an eerie blue glow, and her pajamas had been replaced by a sailor uniform.

“How did I get here? What am I wearing?” Hana was starting to panic.

“It’s about time you arrived, recruit,” a small girl in a blue dress addressed Hana. “Your body is currently asleep in the real world. You are only experiencing this as a dream.” The girl had long white hair held back by a butterfly pin and yellow eyes that didn’t seem natural.

“This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. We have been awaiting your arrival,” an old man said. He had the longest nose Hana had ever seen. “You must have questions, and we can give you answers.”

The whole scene was unsettling, and Hana hoped she woke up from this nightmare soon. “Yeah… As great as this sounds, I’m smart enough to know not to trust creepy old guys who kidnap people. Or little girls with glowing yellow eyes.”

The old man started talking again, but Hana could not stop staring at his nose. How in the hell was that thing so long? Was he born that way or was it some misfortunate accident? Did he choose to make his nose so long?

“Hey! My master is speaking! Pay attention!” the little girl shouted.

“Sorry! I just can’t stop staring at the old guy’s nose!” Hana defended. She glanced over at the old man, bracing herself for a lecture.

Surprisingly, the old man chuckled. “I haven’t had such an amusing guest in a while. This will certainly be interesting. My name is Igor, and the young lady beside you is my assistant.”

“My name is Lavenza,” the girl said with a curtsy. Hana nodded, noting the girl’s sudden shift in personality.

“So, why did you summon me here anyway? Do you visit everyone’s dreams or am I just special?”

Igor smiled. “You, like previous guests of the Velvet Room, are destined to save the world from falling to ruin.”

“Wait, wait, wait. Hold up,” Hana sputtered waving her hands in front of her. “So this place, the ‘Velvet Room’ or whatever, is like your base of operations? And for some reason, you guide people on saving the world? You’re trying to tell me I’m some sort of ‘chosen one’ who is destined to ‘save the world’?”

“In a way, yes. You have a rare ability. You can summon multiple persona, which-”

“Stop it! What are you trying to pull? I’m nobody special! That kind of shit is only in fiction. There is no way I am ‘destined for greatness.’ Hell, I’m not even Japanese! I’m just an American exchange student, trying to get by in life. And you’re telling me that I’m the chosen savior? As much as I would love to get magical powers and go on a quest to save the world, I have to think about my future,” Hana snapped.

“If you don’t do this, there will be no future. What about your family back home? Your brother? The world? Do you really want to risk so much just because you’re too scared to take this responsibility?” Lavenza demanded.

Hana recoiled. She could feel tears prickling in her eyes. “No… I… I have to do this. For everyone…”

“Excellent. Now, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, every person has a power deep inside called a ‘Persona;’ however, you have the rare ability that allows you to summon multiple persona. However, that is a conversation for another time.”

 ~~~

Sojiro greeted Hana the next morning with curry.

“Curry? For breakfast?” Hana questioned.

“What’s that reaction for? Just eat it.”

Hana shrugged and sat down to eat the curry. Her eyes widened after taking the first bite. The flavor was incredible, blending spices in just the right way to give it some kick without being overwhelmingly spicy.

 _Just like Dad would make…_ Hana reminisced.

“Is it too hot? You’re crying.” Sojiro’s words tore Hana out of her musings.

“No, it’s good. It’s reminds me of home,” she said, smiling softly.

‘It’s time for you to go. You remember how to get there? You’ll be late if you get lost on the way.”

“I remember,” Hana assured. “Thank you for the meal.” She made her way outside to the backstreets, looking for a sign that might tell her where she can find the station.

"Excuse me," Hana asked a man waiting near the cafe, "Can you tell me where the station is?"

"So, you're the kid Boss is taking care of, huh. If you follow this street, it should take you right to the station," he replied.

"Thank you so much!" Hana chirped, smiling brightly. Things were going well so far. She made it to the station just in time to snag a spot in the very crowded subway.

“So, I have to transfer at Shibuya and get on the Ginza line. I ride the Ginza line to Aoyama-Itchome, which is where Shujin is,” Hana reminded herself on the way to school the next morning. After getting dressed and eating curry of all things for breakfast, Sojiro handed her a commuter pass and told her how to get to the station near Shujin. She stood among the crowd of commuters, trying to remember how to get to school.

“We are now arriving at Shibuya,” the operator announced. She followed the crowd off the subway and up the stairs.

“Ginza Line, Ginza Line, where is the Ginza Line?” Hana muttered to herself as she made her way through the station.

“Excuse me,” she asked an attendant, “Can you show me the way to the Ginza Line?”

“Of course,” he replied. Hana followed the man up the stairs to the Ginza Line transfer. She thanked him, bowing slightly, and managed to get on the subway.

“Now i just wait for Aoyama-Itchome,” Hana whispered. Clutching to the handle and surrounded by so many people, Hana felt her thoughts drift to the dream she had the previous night.

_What kind of dream was that anyway? It all seemed so realistic, and creepy._

She shuddered at the thought and tried to focus on what school would be like.

_Hopefully I can make some friends… Maybe I can join a club!_

Her thoughts were interrupted by the announcement of their arrival at Aoyama-Itchome. Hana exited the train and went up the stairs.

“Alright, now I just have to get to Shujin. This should be simple!” Hana assured herself. At that moment, as if fate was out to get her, it started raining.

“Darn it!” Hana cried in English. “I forgot an umbrella!”

She ran for cover where she saw a blonde girl standing. Hana stopped for a minute to catch her breath and pulled out her phone to check the time. The strange app from yesterday was still on her phone. Hana tried to open it again, but this time the screen changed.  Deciding to check it out later, Hana took a look at the other girl. She had a fairer complexion than most Japanese people, but darker than Hana’s own. The girl wore her blonde hair in cute pigtails and had the bluest eyes Hana had seen since leaving America. She wore a Shujin uniform blazer and skirt, but had a varsity hoodie underneath the blazer. She wore her uniform skirt shorter than Hana, surprisingly enough, and had red tights underneath. She wore brown boots with a slight heel, but would have still been a bit taller than the average Japanese girl without them. All in all, she was _smoking hot._

 _Damn! Is she a model? It should be illegal for a girl to be this cute!_ The girl looked at her, causing Hana to turn red. Before she can say anything, a car pulled up to the curb. A man rolled the window down and asked the gorgeous blonde if she needed a ride. He offered one to Hana, but she refused remembering all her parent’s warnings of ‘stranger danger.’ Hana watched the beauty get into the car, but spotted a look of reluctance on the girl’s face before the window rolled up and the car drove away.

Out of the corner of her eye, Hana saw a boy attempt to catch up to the car.

“Dammit… Screw that pervy teacher,” the boy growled.

“Pervy teacher?” Hana repeated. The boy turned around, noticing her for the first time.

“What do you want? You plannin’ on rattin’ me out to Kamoshida?” he demanded. Hana stood there, frozen.

“K-kamoshida?” Hana stuttered. Was this boy even speaking Japanese? It sounded like he put the language through a blender!

“Yeah! In that car just now, that was Kamoshida! He just does whatever the hell he wants! Who does he think he is- the king of the castle? Don’t you agree?”

Hana’s head was spinning just trying to keep up with everything the boy was saying. His Japanese was barely recognizable to her! Was this what Boss meant last night?

“Are you even listening?” the boy asked.

“Ah... King of a castle?” she responded, hoping she didn’t make a fool of herself. Hana didn’t know why this boy was talking about castles, but it was the only thing she could really understand.

“No… I mean…” the boy started, “Wait, you don’t know Kamoshida? Are you for real? You’re from Shujin, right?”

“... Shujin? Yes. I’m an exchange student,” Hana answers hesitantly.

“Exchange…? Oh! That’s why I’ve never seen you round before! No wonder you don’t know him. Hey, you’re a second year like me. That’s cool.” He looks at Hana as if expecting a response, but she is still trying to decipher what he said.

“This rain ain’t too bad. Better hurry or we’ll be late? You comin’?”

“I… I do not understand,” Hana admitted, blushing a furious scarlet. She could feel warm tears trickle down her face. Her head was aching, and she confused and alone.

“Aw shit! Don’t cry! It was my fault for speaking so fast. Dammit, what would Mom say if she knew I made a girl cry?” the boy panicked. Hana started sniffling. God, what was wrong with her? She couldn’t seem to stop crying!

“Here, I’ll show you the way. If we’re late, I’ll take the blame, alright?” The boy stuck his hand out.

Hana nodded, taking his hand. She glanced up at him, noticing his bright blond hair and panicked expression. She caught a glimpse of his brown eyes, and calmed down a bit. His eyes were the same color as hers, which made her smile. Seeing Hana smile, he gave her a grin of his own.

“Come on, we’re not too far,” the boy assured her. She followed, matching his long stride. Realizing he was holding her hand, she blushed harder. _Stupid attractive high school students! I don’t know if my poor heart can take much more of this!_


	2. Hana Awakens (Her Hatred of Dungeons)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apparently, Hana's phone is a dimensional transporter, her school got a drastic makeover, and one of the teachers has a very... hands-on approach to teaching. Hana just wanted to go to school, was that too much to ask? Hey, at least she met a cat. Hana loves cats.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I edited some things in Chapter 1, but it shouldn't have too much of an impact on the story. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy Chapter 2!

            As the two were running, Hana noticed the boy's stride was off. He seemed to be favoring one leg over the other.

            “Are you alright?” Hana asked.

            “What do ya mean? I’m fine,” the boy said, chuckling nervously. “Now we just gotta go up these steps and we made it on time!”

            The two hurried up the stairs and through the doors.

            “We made it!” Hana cheered. While the Hana caught her breath, she took a look at her surroundings.

            “Hey, does the school always look like this? I could have sworn it looked different yesterday.”

            “I dunno,” the boy replied stretching his legs. “Maybe there is some event goin’ on? It said ‘Shujin’ on the gate. You saw it too, right?.”

            Before Hana could answer, the boy turned around. She followed his gaze where some sort knight in full armor was approaching them.

            “Geez, you freaked me out...” the boy said. “Are you a student? You’re costume is impressive. Is that armor real? C’mon, don’t just stand there. Say something.”

            Another knight approached joining the first. Hana and the boy were starting to worry.

            “H-hey, what’s goin’ on?”

            “What is this…?” Hana asked, hoping he might know something.

            “I don’t know!” he defended. “This shit’s the real!”

            The armored knights were closing in on them.

            “C-calm down! Time out, man!” the boy stuttered. “We gotta run!”

            “Run?”

            “Yeah, we better not mess with ‘em! Go!”

            They both ran towards the entrance, but two more knights cut off our path.

            “Ugh, what’s with these guys?!” the boy shouted.

            One of the knights slammed its shield into him, causing him to fall over and cry out in pain.

            “Oww.. You’re gonna break my bones, dammit! The hell you think you’re- Aagh!” The boy tried to get up, but cried out again.

            “Take them away!” one of the knights boomed.

 ~~~

            “Hey… Hey! Wake up!” Hana blinked drowsily, hearing a familiar voice. “Are you alright?”

            Hana slowly sat up, recognizing the boy from earlier.

            “Where are we?” she asked, hoping this was all a terrible dream.

            “How should I know? I just woke up too. Looks like this ain’t no dream…”

            Hana’s hope crumbled. How could any of this be real? She surveyed the surroundings, which resembled some sort of medieval prison.

            The boy went over to the bars and knocked loudly on them.

            “Hey! Let us outta here! I know there’s someone out there!” he yelled. “Dammit where are we!? Some kinda TV set?”

            Hana didn’t answer, still trying to process her surroundings and the boy’s puzzling accent. Screams in the distance shook whatever fogginess still lingered out of her head.

            “Th-the hell was that just now…” the boy stammered. They heard more screams, which caused the boy to start freaking out.

            “You’re shitting me, right…?”

            “I’m… what?” Hana asked.

            “Forget it! This is real bad...! There’s gotta be a way outta here! Maybe I can fore this door open or somethin’...”

            Hana figured out that the boy was trying to find an exit, from what little she could make out. She started investigating the cell, when the two heard footsteps approaching.

            “Be glad that your punishment has been decided upon. Your charge is ‘unlawful entry.’ Thus, you will be sentenced to death,” a voice decreed.

            “Say what!?” the boy exclaimed.

            “No one is allowed to do as they please in my castle,” the voice explained. The knights parted revealing a man wearing a crown and furry, heart covered cape.

            “Is that you Kamoshida?” the boy asked. Kamoshida? Hana recalled him mentioning the name Kamoshida earlier.

            “I thought it was some petty thief, but to think it’d be you, Sakamoto… Are you trying to disobey me again? Looks like you haven’t learned your lesson at all, huh?”

            “What does he mean?” Hana asks the boy, Sakamoto. He doesn’t seem to hear her. His eyes are wide and his face is pale.

            “And this time you brought a friend!” Kamoshida continued. “You really can’t do anything for yourself.”

            “This ain’t funny you asshole!” he yells, snapping out of his previous state.

            “Is that how you speak to a king? It seems you don’t understand the position you’re in at all. You snuck into my castle and have the audacity to insult me- the king. THe punishment for that is death. Take him out!” Kamoshida commands.

            "S-stop it…!” Sakamoto stammers. “...Goddammit…!”

            The knights enter the cell, surrounding Sakamoto. He  backs up a few steps before barreling into one of the knights.

            “I ain’t down for this shit! C’mon, we’re outta here!” Sakamoto reaches for me, but a knight cuts him off, hitting his midsection and slamming him into the wall. He moans in pain, cradling his ribs. Before she could think about what she was doing, Hana was gripping one of the knights, trying to restrain its arms.

            “Just go! Get outta here…! These guys are serious!” Sakamoto yelled at her.

            “You’re going to run away? What a heartless friend you are,” Kamoshida tutted.

            “She ain’t a friend…” Sakamoto gasped. “C’mon! Hurry up and go!”

            Hana was surprised, and a bit hurt at his words.

            “No…” Hana muttered. Even if he didn’t see her as a friend, Hana couldn’t just leave Sakamoto at the mercy of this man!

            “What’s the matter? Is your girlfriend too scared to run away? This scum isn’t worth my time. I’ll focus on Sakamoto’s execution, then I have something different in mind for you,” Kamoshida growled, leering at Hana. He turned to Sakamoto and started punching him repeatedly. Kamoshida berated Sakamoto with each blow, hitting him hard enough to knock him on the ground. Kamoshida spat on Sakamoto’s injured body.

            “Where’d the energy from earlier go?” Kamoshida taunted, hauling Sakamoto up and throwing him to the ground once again. “A peasant like you isn’t worth beating. I’ll kill you right now.”

            “Stop it!” Hana screamed, fists clenched in anger.

            “Hm? Are you jealous because I’m not paying any attention to you?” Kamoshida asks, stroking her cheek. “Or maybe you don’t like seeing how pathetic your little boyfriend really is!”

            Hana glares at him. “Don’t you dare touch him!” she cried.

            “I don’t like your tone. Looks like I’ll have to discipline you as well, little girl,” Kamoshida spat. He kicked her harshly in the stomach, slamming her to the ground. He put a foot on her chest, smiling sadistically as Hana struggled.

            “Hold him there,” Kamoshida orders his knights. “Let’s see how Sakamoto likes watching me break his little girlfriend before he dies.” Kamoshida laughs.

            Hana manages to get up and attempts to charge at Kamoshida, but is caught by two knights. They pin her to the wall as he starts to come closer.

_“This is truly an unjust game… Your chances of winning are almost none.”_ Hana hears a voice echoing in her head as she struggles to break free.

_“But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you…”_

_"What’s the matter? Are you going to keep letting adults do whatever they want? Never speaking out against them when they deserve it?”_ another voice echoes.

_"Are you really going to let them have their way with you? Conforming to fit into what their ideal mold for you is. You’ve already cracked the mold by leaving the country. Are you ready to shatter it completely?”_

            “Yes…” Hana hisses. Kamoshida comes closer, grasping her chin and drawing her face closer.

_“Alright! Let’s teach them all a lesson! Nobody tells us what to do!”_

            Hana thrashes more violently, screaming as pain sears throughout her body. It feels like her blood is boiling

_“Let’s do this! I am thou, thou art I… Thou who art willing to break free of society’s constraints and speak against injustice! Call my name and break free! Show the strength of thy will to lead a force against the world itself!”_

            “That’s enough!” Hana cries.

            Kamoshida releases her face. “You dare to speak to your king that way? Fine, enough pleasantries. Let’s start this now!” He grasps the front of her blazer, ripping it open. Hana’s eyes shoot open and a gust of wind surrounds her, forcing Kamoshida back a few feet. When Hana looks up again, a leafy green mask adorns her face. She grasps the mask with both hands, struggling to pull it off. She rips the mask off her face with a spray of blood and accompanying pain that dissolves in a cooling blue fire. The fire surrounds her, forcing the knights and Kamoshida back. Her uniform is replaced by a ruffled white blouse with a green vest, a long flowing scarlet coat, black gloves, brown pants, and black boots. Her brown hair, which is usually pulled back into a braid, hangs in loose waves around her shoulders. She has a light green hat with a scarlet feather and the leafy green mask from before. Sakamoto looks on with awe, and a bit of fear. Hana has a feral grin on her face as she feels a newborn powerflow within her.

_“I am the immortal trickster- ‘Peter Pan’! I am the rebel’s soul that lives in you. I can give you the power to show these guys who’s boss!”_

            “Give me your power!” Hana commanded.

_“Yes! Let’s teach them a lesson!”_

            Kamoshida glares from the cell entrance. “Who the hell are you…!?” he demands. “Guards! Finish them!”

            Hana finds herself face to face with two floating jack-o-lanterns. Brandishing a pair of daggers and a mysterious shadow magic, Hana dispatches them quickly. She feels a sense of power rush through her, like she’s growing stronger. The feeling fades and Hana rushes over to check on Sakamoto.

            “What was that just now…?” he asks, staring at her.

            “You little…!” Kamoshida snarled, storming towards Hana. Sakamoto gets to his feet and charges at Kamoshida, tackling him to the ground.

            “You like that, you son of a bitch!?” he taunts.

            “Lock the door!” Hana calls out. Sakamoto grabs the keys and locks the cell door.

            “Damn you!” Kamoshida screams.

            “What was that just now?” Sakamoto asks. “And… your clothes…!”

            A flash of blue fire surrounded Han for an instant, leaving her uniform in place of hr previous outfit.

            “They went back to normal!” he noted.

            Kamoshida rattled the cell door, surprising them both. “You bastards!” he yells.

            “God, this’s effin’ nuts!” Sakamoto laments. “Let’s get out of here!”

            Hana nods, running down the corridor, leaving a raging Kamoshida behind. Leaping across various obsticles, crawling through a tunnel, and navigating the dungeon lead them to a winding staircase that hopefully led to the exit. The two open the door at the top and are met with more of this twisted dungeon. As they traverse the dungeon, Sakamoto notices more and more captured and kept in other cells. The two kept running until they couldn’t find another path.

            “What the hell!? Another dead end!” Sakamoto shouted.

            “Hey! Over here!” a voice called. “Blondie! Pigtail! Look over here!”

            The two approached the cell where they heard the voice.

            “What is this thing?” Sakamoto wondered. A small cat like creature stood at the cell doors, waving at them.

            “You’re not soldiers of this castle, right? Get me out of here! Look, the key’s right there,” the cat thing implored.

            “We’re trying to get the hell out of here…! I mean, you look like an enemy too,” Sakamoto snapped.

            “I’m locked up here, so how can I be your enemy!? Help me out!” the cat creature begged.

            “...A cat?” Hana asked. She had a soft spot for cats, missing her three cats back home.

            “I am NOT a cat! Say that again and I’ll make you regret it!” the creature scolded.

            Footsteps were getting closer, reminding the two of their predicament.

            “Shit, there’s still no service,” Sakamoto cursed, checking his phone. “Ain’t there a way to contact someone? How the hell do we get out…!?”

            “Hey, you two! If you let me out, I’ll take you to the exit,” the creature said. “You don’t want to get caught, right?”

            The footsteps were louder, signaling the guards steady approach.

            “Okay! We’ll let you out!” Hana promises, unlocking the cell door.

            “Where’s the exit cat?” Sakamoto asks.

            “Don’t call me a cat! My name is Morgana,” the creature, Morgana, answers.

            “Hurry it up! You wanna be locked up again?”

            “Alright, sheesh! Follow me and stay quiet.”

            The three head over to a drawbridge that is up.

            “You, Pigtail Girl. Check around the mouth of this statue, Ok?” Morgana says.

            Hana approaches the Kamoshida statue and pulls the jaw, letting the drawbridge down. The three run across, only to be confronted by more guards.

            “Shit! It’s them!” Sakamoto shouts.

            “Tch… Amateur,” Morgana scoffs. “Stay still Blondie! You there! You can fight?”

            Hana nods, noting the change in her attire again. Sakamoto scrambles behind them.

            “Come...Zorro!” Morgana calls. A large shadowy creature is summoned in a similar way Hana summoned Peter Pan earlier.

            “Y-you got one of those things too?” Sakamoto stammers.

            “We’ll shut them up,” Morgana boasts. The two ready their weapons and prepare to confront the guards. Once again, the knights changed form. Hana attacked like before, but Morgana’s wind completely blew the enemy away!

            “Alright! One more!” Morgana cheered attacking again. The enemies didn’t stand a chance. Soon, Morgana and Hana were collecting the spoils from their victory.

            “Your persona is pretty powerful, you know” Morgana informed Hana.

            “Persona? Y’mean that thing that comes out of you guys with the overdramatic lightshow?” Sakamoto asked, joining up with the other two.

            “Yeah, you saw how your friend ripped her mask off to summon it, right? Everyone wears a mask deep within in their hearts, something they keep hidden. By removing that-“

            Morgana’s explanation was interrupted by blue fire consuming Hana, once again leaving her wearing the Shujin uniform.

            “She changed back again…” Sakamoto noted.

            “It seems you don’t have complete control over your power yet,” Morgana mused. “The transformation wouldn’t usually keep changing.”

            “This is all too confusing! None of this makes sense!” Ryuji snapped.

            “Would you shut up and listen, Blondie!?” Morgana retorted.

            “Don’t call me Blondie! My name is Ryuji…!” Sakamoto argued.

            “Now is not the time to fight!” Hana interjected, “We need to find a way out of here!”

            “She’s right,” Morgana admits. “Take this medicine in case we run into any more battles. The exit shouldn’t be too far ahead!”

            Morgana handed Hana some medicine, and the three continue to navigate the dungeon. They pass by numerous cells, but one catches Ryuji’s attention.

            “Hold on a sec!” Ryuji called to the other two. “This guy looks familiar…”

            “We don’t have time! Let’s just keep moving!” Morgana shouted.

            “What!? Are we really gonna leave these people behind!?” Ryuji argued. “Who are all these people anyway…?”

            “Listen, we don’t have time to worry about anyone else! Besides, they’re-“

            “There they are!” the guards yelled, interrupting Morgana. The bridge closed, letting two guards cross.

            “We can take them,” Hana assured. Morgana and Hana prepared to fight off the guards once again. This time, two fairies were our opponents. Hana easily took them down with her curse skills, Peter Pan’s shadow power from before.

            “Alright, we need to get out of here now!” Morgana warned.

            “But what about these people?” Ryuji protested.

            “Listen! I don’t have time to explain, but we have to go! Follow me if you want, but I’m leaving!”

            Morgana rushed across the bridge, closely followed by Hana and a reluctant Ryuji. The three arrived at the entrance, where Morgana assured there was an exit.

            “This door’s locked!” Ryuji growled, struggling to open the door. “Did you trick us?”

            “No!” Morgana defended, “There should be another way in here!” Morgana led them into another room.

            “Here? There aren’t even any windows! How are we supposed to leave?”

            “There is a vent…” Hana noted, motioning to the ventilation shaft overhead.

            “Nice work!” Morgana cheered. Ryuji jumped up to the shaft and managed to rip the grate off.

            “Now you two should really get out before any more guards come!”

            “But what about you?” Ryuji asked Morgana.

            “Don’t worry. I’ve got a couple things to take care of first,” Morgana replied.

            “Thanks for your help,” Hana said. “Try not to get caught again.”

            “Be careful yourselves! Now get going!” Morgana waved at the two as they climbed into the vent.

            “Those two seem useful,” Morgana mused, “Especially the girl, if my hunch is right.”

~~~

            “We made it!” Ryuji cheered. “I honestly wasn’t sure we’d ever make it out!”

            “What’s with the yelling?” a policeman demanded. “Are you Shujin students? You think you can get away with cutting class?”

            “What? No!” Ryuji protested. “We were trying to get to school and we ended up at this weird ca-“

            “I apologize,” Hana interrupted. “I am an exchange student. I got lost, and Sakamoto-kun found me. He was trying to show me the way to school.”

            “You were lost for four hours? I don’t believe it. I’m contacting the school.”

            “Wait! We didn’t do anything-“

            “Please understand. I still have trouble with kanji and I accidently got on the wrong train. Sakamoto-kun recognized my uniform and followed me. He brought me back here,” Hana explained, giving the policeman an innocent glance.

            “Well… alright. I’ll let you go this once, but head straight to school, got it?”

            “Yes sir!” Hana grabbed Ryuji’s hand and dragged him to the school gate.

            “What was that about?!” Ryuji demanded. “Why did you make up some story about getting lost!?”

            “Do you think that anyone would believe we were trapped in a magic castle? I was just trying to stay out of trouble,” Hana responded.

            “You aren’t doing a very good job of it,” a councilor scolded from the steps. “Where were you all morning? We received a notice from the police that two students were cutting class. It’s rare to see you dragging someone else into trouble, Sakamoto.”

            “Dammit! Those cops called the school,” Ryuji hissed.

            “We were lost,” Hana offered. “I am the exchange student.”

            “What’s this about an exchange student?” a familiar voice asked. Kamoshida himself joined the councilor on the steps.

            “Kamoshida!?” Ryuji sputtered.

            “You seem so carefree, Sakamoto. Quite a difference from when you had morning practice with the track team,” Kamoshida taunted.

            “Shut up! It’s your fault I-“

            “Don’t talk to Kamoshida-sensei that way!” the councilor fumed. “Do you really want to be expelled?”

            “But he’s the one that provoked me!” Ryuji argued.

            “He does have a point,” Kamoshida complied. “Let’s just say we both share the blame.”

            “That doesn’t excuse the fact that you are late. My office, now!” the councilor demanded. Ryuji trudged up the stairs, shooting Kamoshida a scathing glare.

            “You’re the exchange student, correct? Yamada Hana?” Kamoshida asked.

            Hana nodded. She stared at him in disbelief. Is this really the same man from the castle?

            “Haven’t I seen you somewhere before…?” he mused. Hana panicked. Did he somehow remember the castle?

            “I… saw a girl get into your car,” Hana replied, remembering the blonde girl from earlier.

            “That’s right… I remember now. Well, if you’re interested in joining a club, our volleyball team is nationally ranked,” he told Hana, his eyes scanning her body. “You look pretty athletic, so give it a shot. I’ll be in my office. You should head to the faculty office. Kawakami-sensei is waiting for you.”

            Hana nods, cringing on the inside. After what happened in the castle, she wasn’t going near that man alone. She asks a teacher for directions and heads to the second-floor faculty office.

            “It’s about time you showed up! I can’t believe you’re over half a day late on your first day of class,” Kawakami lectured. “Where were you all morning?”

            “Sorry. I got lost,” Hana answered meekly.

            “How could you get lost for several hours!? I know you aren’t familiar with Tokyo, but… never mind that. I heard you were hanging around with that Sakamoto-kun!”

            “‘That’ Sakamoto?”

            “Take my advice. Stay away from Sakamoto. He’s a bad influence,” Kawakami warned. Hana simply nodded and followed the teacher to her classroom.

            “Alright class! We decided to have the exchange student attend for the afternoon since she wasn’t feeling well this morning. She did have to adjust to a new time zone,” Kawakami explained. “Please introduce yourself to the class.”

            “My name is Yamada Hana. It is a pleasure to meet you. Please take care of me,” Hana recited, bowing to the class. She could already hear murmuring from her classmates.

            “That’s the exchange student? She’s so tall!”

            “I thought she’d look more like Takamaki-san.”

            “Her accent is so weird!”

            “Do you think she can even understand us?”

            “She probably isn’t smart enough. I heard Americans are pretty stupid.”

            Hana flushed, hearing everyone’s comments. Some of the remarks hurt, but she couldn’t let it bother her.

            “How about you take a seat over… there. Near the window, there’s an open seat.” Kawakami gestured to the back corner of the classroom.

            Hana made her way, blocking out the whispers of her classmates. She caught the eye of the girl who sits in front of her.

            “Lies…” she whispered. It was the girl she saw getting into Kamoshida’s car earlier.

            “Huh?” Hana asked. The girl didn’t reply, so Hana took her seat. The exchange sparked her classmates interest again.

            “Do they know each other?”

            “Maybe they are both dating Kamoshida!”

            “Like some sort of harem? Gross.”

            Hana moaned, putting her head on her desk. Her first day was already off to a _spectacular_ start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AW YES! I was so PUMPED for this chapter! It's PERSONA time! Here are the notes on changes:
> 
> 1\. Hana has trouble understanding some of what Ryuji says because he uses so much slang and has a different accent that what Hana is used to hearing. It's kind of like someone whose lived in New England moving to the deep south and hearing heavy southern accents. You can make out what the person is saying for the most part, but it can be pretty confusing. Doubly so since it is a completely different language.
> 
> 2\. Kamoshida being a different kind of dickbag. Yes, he attempted to molest Hana. Kamoshida tends to view girls in a more perverse way. He decided to godown the sexual predator route, instead of just a normal predator. The fact that she was Ryuji's "girlfriend" was an added bonus. What better way to get back at the annoying delinquent than to break someone he cares for right in front of him, all while Ryuji is helpless to stop it.
> 
> 3\. The big one: The Persona! I know a bunch of y'all are probably wondering why I didn't use Arsene, considering Hana is our protagonist. I did it this way for a few reasons. One, I feel like Hana would be more familiar with Peter Pan, as most Americans are. Plus, Ireally wanted to emphasize that Hana is NOT simply a female Akira who happens to be American. She is her own character with separate motivations. Without spoiling anything, I can say that part of Hana's "rebellion" against society is cutting loose and acting like a kid for once, hence Peter Pan being a fitting persona.
> 
> As usual, please tell me what you liked, didn't like, and anything I should fix! Your comments mean the world to me! I hope you continue to enjoy the story, and I thank you for your continued support! :3

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading my highly indulgent trashy oc fic. Honestly, I wanted to play around with two things. The first being a possible female mc, the other being a sort of self insert character. Hana is a weird combination of the two, but I think it will work out. Now, reasons for a lot of changes and other notes.
> 
> 1\. Why is she American??? I wanted Hana to be an American exchange student because it is a direction no one has gone as far as female mc stories. Instead of having a criminal record, she has to deal with harassment and rumors surrounding her status as a foreigner. Japan is actually a very racist country, and I want to show how that might affect our mc.
> 
> 2\. The Velvet Room is different!! Of course it is. Hana's Velvet Room is focused on transportation because she has moved from one country to another. Her inner turmoil is more reminiscent of this anxiety of adjusting to a new culture rather than the threat of imprisonment. Japan is an island, so I thought a boat would be clever.
> 
> 3\. Igor is Igor! Lavenza! What about Caroline and Justine??? I am taking a completely different take on the Persona 5 story we know. It wouldn't be any fun if it was the same story! Hana's story is one of rebellion against the expectations set on her both by her family back home, and the prejudice she will face in Japan. It is more reminiscent of Persona 4 in the regard of accepting yourself, but still has tones of standing up for what you believe is right, even if you have to do it alone.
> 
> 4\. She likes Ann and Ryuji??? Yes. Let her live. It's all for fun anyway. I don't even know if there will be any pairings!!! Plus, all the Phantom Thieves are freaking gorgeous and it's not fair.
> 
> 5\. Will Confidants be the same? Yes and no. Same people, different stories.
> 
> Any other questions I will answer to the best of my ability. I hope you enjoyed it!!


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